Harold and Maude / Valentine’s Day Screening!

A 19-year-old man with a death wish and a 79-year-old woman high on life find love, much to the shock of the rest of the world, in Hal Ashby’s beloved black comedy, Harold and Maude. Deadpan rich boy Harold (Bud Cort) stages elaborate (and increasingly hilarious) fake suicide attempts in order to gain the attention of his exasperated mother (Vivian Pickles), who ignores her son’s morbid shenanigans and blithely plans his brilliant future for him. Obsessed with the trappings of death, Harold freaks out his blind dates, modifies his new sports car to look like a mini-hearse, and attends funerals for fun. But when Harold meets the irrepressible, anything-for-a-thrill septuagenarian Maude (Ruth Gordon), everything changes. An eccentric to the core, Maude lives exactly as she pleases, with avid collecting, nude modeling and car theft among her many pursuits. Much to the horror of Harold’s relatives and the befuddlement of his shrink, Harold and Maude fall in love, and as lilting Cat Stevens tunes play on the soundtrack, Maude teaches Harold a few things about making the most of his time on earth. Equal parts gallows humor and romantic innocence, Harold and Maude, one of the biggest cult classics of the ‘70s, is a delightfully offbeat romantic comedy for ALL ages. (Dir. by Hal Ashby, 1971, USA, 91 mins., Rated PG) Digital